The love life of a run away disbeliever
by RoseScor90
Summary: In their last year at school, she had dumped him for her career. When they meet again after a few years and he is still willing to wait for her, will she make the right choice? Or will she run away again? Written for the "Don't get too friendly"challenge
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter characters!

Chapter 1: Long time no see

She had never believed in love. Not even after seeing her own parents. Aunts and uncles. Grandparents. Cousins. Brother. Best Friends.

There had been a black period (as she considered it) in her disbelief. There had been a guy. She had been fascinated.

No, she corrected herself, she had been mesmerized.

It hadn't been his looks, though he hadn't lacked in that either; it hadn't been his character, though he was one of the best persons she had known; it had had nothing to do with the fact that he was her cousin's best friend; though Albus claimed, to this day, that friends like Scorpius Malfoy came around only once in a millennium.

No, it had had every thing to do with the forbidden fruit being sweeter than the rest. It had always been about going against the rules. Being a rebel. Breaking out. Or that's what she had always told herself and her disbelieving friends.

And she had achieved all that. But, men weren't wads of paper to throw away after you used them for two whole years. Or was it three? Rose was always confused. Her last years at Hogwarts had always seemed to merge into one confused mass of exams, Diane, Al and of course, Scorpius.

He had loved her. He had said so himself the day they, _she_, had broken up with him. Dumped would have been fairer but, it made her feel ugly. Like a heartless bitch.

But he would wait. She had been both irritated and shocked by that statement.

Then, she had just smiled at him and said that Love never lasted that long.

And they had parted. A clear sever, just the way she had wanted.

They had gone their separate ways, she becoming a curse breaker and he, a healer along with Albus.

Albus had tried to bring them together, but, she had heard from Al that Scorpius had told him not to interfere. How he had said that to Albus without offending him, Rose was still unsure.

And so, five years had passed after their break up and she was yet to realize her 'love'.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Good Morning, Agnes! What's on the menu today?" Rose asked cheerfully as she entered the front room of her office, where she found her boss, David Agnes, shuffling through bundles of paper, earnestly searching for some thing.

"It's just the Wrights' case, Rose. I can't seem to find the excerpt and there's a case that's very similar to it"

"Did you search the top cupboard on your left? It had the red note tied in front"

"Why, thank you, Rose! I'd never be able to run this place without you!"

"Sure! What am I allotted today?"

"A visit to St Mungo's. There is a case there and the Healers suspect that Dark Magic was involved"

"All right, then. Tell Wendy not to wait for me for lunch. I'll arrange it with Al"

"Sure thing Rose. Just go to the reception and ask for Scorpius Malfoy's consultation room"

_Oh dear!_

As soon as Rose exited the office, she cast a patronus, a cute little mix between an eagle and a dragon she had never been able to name, and sent it to Albus with the message of her arrival.

When she apparated to the reception of the hospital, she landed a bare inch in front of some one. Some one who was taller than her. Some one she soon recognized as her favorite cousin, Lily.

"Hey there, Lily! Fancy seeing you here"

"You too" Lily retorted impatiently, as if she was restraining herself from bursting with some news.

"What is it?" Rose asked, cutting short the pleasantries.

"He asked me to move in with him!"

"Lily! How is that in any way good? Hell, Lily! You're just twenty two!"

"And that's not too early for moving in. Look at Hugo, Rose. And Diane!"

Indeed, her own brother, Hugo had married when he was but twenty, and Rose had only seen a handful of couples more in love than them. Then there was the case with her own friend. Albus, her cousin, had gotten himself engaged to her long time friend, Diane and as far as her knowledge went, she didn't think they were, in any way, unhappy.

"Each to their own, I guess. So, what brings you here?"

"Oh, it's just my day off. I thought I'd meet Al for lunch. And Scorp, of course! And if you're free, may be you could join us? It could get a bit tiresome being the only girl in a threesome"

"Why is that?"

Rose had pondered her options about being able to be in the company of Scorpius, before deciding that the best course to take was distraction until she came up with an answer.

"They'd immediately revert to Quidditch"

"I thought you liked Quidditch?"

"Sure I do, but it'd be nice if, for once, they could talk about some thing, any thing else, other than the chances of Chuddley Canons winning the Quidditch World Cup which, every one knows, is lesser than zero"

Rose had to laugh at that. No matter that Lily had grown up. She'd always be the girl that complained about how her brothers had nothing better to do than sit around and talk about Quidditch or girls.

"Never let your Uncle Ron hear you say that! And I'd be glad to accompany you for lunch. I'd been planning to ask Al any way"

"Do they teach you manners at the Office, Rose? You sound so stiff and formal nowadays"

Looking back on what she had said, Rose realized that she had, in fact, been quite stand off-ish.

"I'm just a bit tired is all, Lils! Nothing a nice weekend can't cure" she assured her.

"Do you, by any chance, know where Scorpius' room is? I'm supposed to look at a case in there"

"Sure! It's on the fourth floor. Take the right corridor and its right at the end. The room of the Deputy Head, it even has a name plate"

"Thanks Lily! See you at one at the WWW?"

"Sure" Lily replied and waved as Rose began to negotiate the crowd in the lifts.

Knocking on the door labeled "Scorpius Malfoy, Deputy Head", she heard a muffled 'Enter' before she entered the room.

It'd be a huge lie if Rose had said that she hadn't avoided Scorpius Malfoy. A big, fat lie. Avoiding lunches with Albus, missing dinners at the Potters', it had all had to do with the fact that he'd have been there.

But it was the reason that Rose was clear of. Not because she was afraid of her feelings. Or his. Of course, not. It was just that she had wanted to give them both recovery time. Like in between rounds of boxing. And she just hadn't been sure how long that would be.

So, she could truthfully admit that she was relieved when she met the warm green eyes of her cousin rather than the cool blue-grey ones she had been anticipating.

"So the finest curse breaker in town finally decides to show up. I'd begun to think that the patronus was fake. Scorpius has just gone for a break. Didn't you meet him in the lobby?"

"Must have missed him in the lifts. Just as well. Now, where is this case?"

"I dunno much about it. Scor's the magical injuries expert. So you better wait till he returns"

"Couldn't you ask him to return?"

"Why are you in such a hurry?"

"Nothing particular. I just hate waiting, I guess. I met Lily at the entrance"

"Yeah! That git has asked her to move in with him! The nerve! He'd better keep clear of me the next time he decides to visit or I just _might_ be tempted to try my hand at the lawn mower. Move in! _Move in!_"

As Albus' rambling turned incomprehensible, Rose turned her attention towards the bed where the patient lay, white as a sheet.

He was a man of about thirty, by her estimation, and seemed too innocent to have been dealing with Dark Magic. But, who was she to speculate such things?

She moved over to the bed, and picked up the pad that hung from the end, browsing through the notes written in an unimaginably tidy and cursive scribble, proof enough that not much had changed about her boyfriend.

_Ex-boyfriend_ she reminded herself for the umpteenth time that day.

"So, how's Diane? It's been so long since I saw her"

"She's fine. She's quite mad at you for canceling out on the party at our flat that day"

"Oh, that! I had an emergency call" Rose said though she knew the real reason she hadn't come.

"Tell her that I'll call soon and we can have an outing"

"Ok, Rose…"

Sensing that Albus' voice had faded out, Rose turned to see the reason and was face to face with the reason of her sudden social isolation.

_Nothing had changed about him. He was still the same person she had sneaked out of Hogwarts with. The same person who had endured the threats of her family. The same one who made her look forward to the Hogsmeade visits which she had always hated. The one who had said that he loved her. The one who she had mercilessly dumped…_

"I see your hair is still too long" Rose chose the most insignificant comment of them all.

"You are still a head shorter than me, I see" Scorpius shot back as his signature smirk made its customary appearance.

And his eyes gained a wicked gleam that had always had her heart sprinting. And five years seemed to have been incapable of toning it down.

"What's wrong with this one?" Rose expertly averted her eyes, turning instead, towards the patient, before her eyes would give away what her heart was feeling.

"Oh, it's just that whatever we use bounces right off him. We think there's some sort of curse on him that repels any kind of magic. Even potions"

"Oh, okay! Let me check whether it repels muggle means too" Rose said and proceeded to take a thermometer out of her pocket.

"Where did you get that!" Albus exclaimed though Scorpius remained silent, knowing that she'd have nicked it from some where.

The thermometer bounces right off when she tried to put it in his mouth.

"That was that…."

Half an hour later, she had been able to break the curse and stuffed her wand in her cloak.

"You really are good at what you do, aren't you?" Scorpius asked with open admiration.

He had never been one to hold back compliments. She, of all people, knew that quite well.

"That's what I tell my boss" Rose replied as they left the room and went towards the elevator.

"Where do we meet Lily?" Scorpius asked as they were leaving the hospital.

"The WWW" Rose answered automatically and they apparated to the shop to pick up Lily and meet Ron and George, and also Fred who had joined there after graduation.

"So, what have you been doing?" Rose asked casually, as they waited just outside the shop while Albus had gone inside to fetch Lily.

"Oh! This and that"

"This and that?"

"This and that. And you?"

"Nothing flashy. Just my work, I guess"

"You always took the world far more seriously than needed, you know?"

"So says the person who panicked because he had predicted Professor Trelawney's untimely death in his NEWTs. You didn't even need to pass that subject for becoming a healer. And, who made _you_ Deputy Head?"

"Why not?" Scorpius was indignant. He considered his position at St Mungo's one of his greatest achievement.

"I dunno. Could have some thing to do with the fact that you and Al were the ones that finally made Filch retire, in our second year, might I remind you. A feat even the Marauders, Uncle Fred, Uncle George, even James and Fred had been unable to accomplish"

"Ah! Those were golden days! When all you had to worry about was the next prank and impressing girls"

"So, who are you impressing now?"

The question was asked in a casual tone, yet the intent was clear. She was interested in his love life.

"No one in particular. Just one now, and another later. You know, being flighty is a real treat"

That hurt. More than it should have. Hell! She shouldn't have been hurt at all! Trying not to let her disappointment show, she turned around when she heard a cough behind her and found Fred standing there with Albus and Lily.

Albus and Lily were sending identical bewildered looks towards Scorpius which he studiously ignored.

"I should be offended. But since you are my favorite cousin" here, he was interrupted by the indignant protests of Lily and Albus, "I'll let that slide this time"

"Oh, Fred! You're my favorite too! You know that!"

Fred lifted her into a bear hug and she let out a delighted laugh.

When she let her down, she met the amused gaze of Scorpius, and it flustered her. And she detected a bit of longing in those orbs too. It startled her that she knew the exact reason for it.

He had always envied her, Albus and most of the Weasleys and Potters for having such a big family.

Trying to change her thoughts from the day he had told her this, the day they had actually sneaked out of Hogwarts, she said her Good bye to Fred and apparated to the Leaky Cauldron, Albus muttering to Scorpius furiously and him shaking his head fervently.


	2. An unconventional date proposal

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters……**

Chapter 2: An unconventional date proposal

They took a table at the Leaky Cauldron, ordered drinks and Albus offered to get the food.

"I'll go with you" Scorpius offered and before Al could decline, asked, "Just the usual?" directing his eyes towards Lily.

"Of course, Scor"

As the two went to get the food, Lily turned to Rose and asked, "So, what's the matter between you two?"

"Who? Al?"

"Not funny, Rosey. You know pretty well who I'm asking about" Lily answered, resorting to the old nickname she knew Rose hated.

"I thought you'd have realized by now that I don't like talking about it. But, since you asked, nothing. It's been five years since our break up and I have no more foolish notion of becoming his friend now than I had five years ago"

"Then why is he ignoring you so studiously?"

"Ask him that. Either way, I can't be bothered about what attitude the great Scorpius Malfoy is sporting at the moment. May be the blond who is currently fervently flirting with him could help"

Lily looked around and sure enough, a pretty blond girl behind the counter was openly flirting with him. And Scorpius, who generally avoided such encounters, appeared to be enjoying it quite well.

It was only when the food arrived and Albus nudged him to help him did he move and even then, not without a wink to the blond.

"There you go" Albus said as he placed the plate of food before Rose who immediately began to tear it to shreds.

"Who pushed the wrong button?" Al asked teasingly as he took a seat by her and Scorpius took the one diagonally across from her.

"Your friend who decided that flirting was a lot more important than food"

If she had been expecting a smart remark, or even a smirk, Rose was sorely disappointed, for, Scorpius only raised his face long enough to utter an apology before he began eating his food.

An uncomfortable silence hung on the table as Rose and Scorpius ate, or pretended to eat their food with care and the other two looked on, opening their mouths to strike up a conversation and then closing it, in perfect impersonation of a gold fish.

Finally, after fifteen more minutes of grueling silence, Rose looked up from her plate and said, "It was nice having lunch with you guys. But, I should be going now. Bye!"

And she hurriedly left the Leaky Cauldron, leaving behind two confused siblings and a smirking Malfoy.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey, Wendy! Sorry I couldn't have lunch with you yesterday. Went to see Al and Lily"

"You never told me you knew Scorpius Malfoy?"

"What? How do you know about that?"

"In your room" Wendy indicated and went back to her work.

Rose entered the room and looked at the corners as if expecting Scorpius to jump out of one.

Instead, all she found was a bouquet of violets, her favorite, she noted with increasing disdain, and a note attached to it.

Setting aside the bouquet, she opened the note and it read:

Thanks for the lunch. Really enjoyed it. See you soon!

Love,

Scor.

"Uh! That idiot!"

"You like violets don't you?"

Rose scolded herself for not realizing that Wendy had been in the room and said, "Nothing. I was just frustrated is all"

"Okay? Are you going to hang them here? They'd look quite pretty" Wendy said even as she took the bouquet in hand and began looking for a suitable place for hanging it.

Not having the mood for interior decoration, Rose said, "I have work at Diagon Alley. I'll be gone the whole day"

"What! But, today's Friday! We don't do field work on Fridays!"

"I do. Bye!"

She closed the door behind her but not before she heard her friend's rant about overworking women and stupid ambitions.

Strolling along the streets of Diagon Alley, Rose realized, for the first time since she had come here, the sheer amount of magic in the air. It was as if the air was bursting with static.

As she passed by the ice cream shop, she was reminded of the visits before start of term, when she and Diane had once argued over the best flavor of ice cream and Albus had had to get them half of the shop to get them to shut up.

She laughed lightly, reminiscing the fond memories.

"Laughing? Alone? I may not know the number but it surely is a sign of insanity"

_I didn't even think of him! Devils are supposed to appear only when we think of them, right?_

"I was sane enough before I saw you today. May be insanity is contagious and since you are infested with it…"

"Still insulting every one, I see"

"Not every one. Just annoying idiots who think they can fool me by sending me _flowers!_"

"Didn't you like them? I'm pretty sure they were you favorites"

"They are my favorites all right, but you had no right to send them to me"

"Why not? The last time I saw, sending a person flowers is a kind gesture"

"Not in my dictionary"

"Oh, seems like we had a denotation disaster"

"Scor!"

Rose averted her eyes from him to look at the girl that was fast approaching them.

She appeared to be about seventeen, old enough to be out of Hogwarts. She had stick straight golden blond hair, which fell to her elbows, and sparkling blue eyes, which were now trained on her in delight.

_Did I know her?_

"It seems like you deserted your previous company" Rose said before the approaching girl could come within ear shot.

"I'm sure Lyra won't mind when she sees it was you"

"Ly…you mean to tell me that that's your younger sister? The little dewy eyed girl that was in her first year when we graduated?"

"The very same girl that whooped at our graduation ceremony, yes. You hadn't expected her to remain a first year, had you?"

By this time Lyra had approached them and on seeing who her brother was talking to, completely ignored him and pounced on Rose, hugging her fiercely.

Rose was hit with a strong sense of déjà vu, when Lyra had hugged her, at the waist at that time since she had been quite short, thanking her for helping her out with the bullies.

The girl might have grown up, but her greetings were still the same. Filled with warmth and genuine pleasure at meeting some one. So were her eyes. They were still the calming shade of the palest blue she had seen, and they were still twinkling with exuberance and mischief.

"Wow! It seems like a long time since I saw you! I missed you like hell Rosie!"

"Me too Lyra. Me too"

"So, I heard that you're lined up to become the Head of the Magical Mishaps Department?"

"I see some one has been feeding you with lies. I assure you I'm no way near that post as your brother here is near sanity"

"Pity! I always thought you were great with authority. You were the best Head Girl I've seen in my seven years. And that includes myself"

"You made Head Girl? Congrats! I'm sure you would make a perfect Head Girl!"

"Aw, Rose! You know that isn't true! I'm too lenient to punish people for half the things they ought to be punished for"

"I'm sure you'll be great nonetheless. So, how is Jonathan? You're still friends, right?" Rose added seeing Scorpius' face turn quite a few shades darker.

"Yeah! And he asked me out me last year!" Lyra's voice almost reached the level of a squeal when she said that.

Jonathan Grey had been one of the persons who had bullied Lyra in the beginning but by the year end, they had been thick as thieves.

"Looks like your brother doesn't seem to think so" Rose was smiling as if she knew a secret.

"Of course! She's too young to date! And that bully, too!"

"Nathan is not a bully! When will you accept that!"

"You know, Al said the same thing when Lily started dating. Is it some sort of brother thing?"

"Hugo must be an exception then?"

"Okay, let me alter that. Is it an elder brother thing?"

"Who cares? I'm not breaking up with him just because he and Dad think I should" Lyra declared resolutely, "And didn't you say you had an appointment, Scor? Some thing about a patient that couldn't stay out of the hospital for more than a day?"

"Yeah, I should. And Rose, would you care to go on a dinner with me?"

"Sure! I'd love to!" Rose's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Meet you at eight pm on Sunday eve! Bye! Bye, Lyra!"

Before a dumb found Rose could retort, he had kissed Lyra's cheek and had apparated and Rose returned to her office after spending some more time with Lyra, more annoyed than she had been when she had left.

Seeing a thank you note from Scorpius threw her off the edge and her scream of "I'll kill you, Malfoy!" was heard throughout the Department.

A/n: So, what do you think of Rose and Scor?

Review!


	3. The prelude to a date

**Disclaimer : I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters…**

Chapter 3: The prelude to a date

"Ah!" Rose shrieked as she stood before the full length and looked at herself.

"You look exotic!" Roxanne exclaimed from her reclining position on Rose's bed. She had accidentally decided to call on Rose and had found her this way, staring at herself in the mirror, occasionally crying out.

"That's the problem! I don't want to look nice!"

"You don't. You look spectacular"

"Ugh!...I want to look hideous! Revolting! Ugly!"

"I thought you were going on a date? You never told me who you were going with though"

"Scorpius idiot Malfoy"

"Oh that's why he never said what his middle name was!"

"Uh! Stop joking and help me Roxy!"

"No way! And I'll stop any of your fool hardy attempts at spoiling your look. Why dress up only to hate it?"

That had been the very question that had been running through Rose's mind too.

She consoled herself, saying that the wine red knee length dress had been the first thing she had got her hands on, but she couldn't even convince herself about the hair do and the touch of eyeliner.

"It's just…I don't want him to think that I dressed up for _him_!"

"Didn't you?"

"Of course not! What do you think I am? Some kind of fool who pines after her ex-boy friend?"

"May be not, but then, why do you care so much about what he thinks of you?"

"I told you how he asked me out, didn't I? I don't want to seem like one of the sluts he dates!"

"You just don't want him to get the last say. Aside from that, do you think these 'sluts' would worry as much as you do? And, for your information, Scorpius never dated these past five years. Sure, there was a smirk here and a wink there. Nothing serious though. We never knew why. It was not as if he was lacking offers with the way women were throwing themselves at him"

She knew, the reason. And this piece of information both shocked her and filled her with guilt, though she didn't understand why she felt responsible at all.

He had been the one who had refused to move on. Who had decided to 'wait', for a relationship that had already withered.

"I can't be bothered with all that now. I need to prove to him that there could be nothing between us any more"

"And I'd be of no help to you there. Rose, when was the last time you went on a date? No," she held up her hand before Rose could interrupt, "not a dinner, lunch or what not, a real date. When was the last time?"

Seeing that Rose wasn't going to answer, Roxanne continued, "Do you want a reminder, Rose? It was the graduation ball of our seventh year. The very last day of our school life. The day you dumped Scor"

Seeing Rose flinch, she said, "Yes, Rose. You can't turn away from the truth for ever. You dumped him. After raising his hopes so much, too"

"I never…"

"Yes, dating him for three years isn't any sign at all, right? And what was your reason for dumping him? That you didn't believe in love? That you didn't want to spoil your career? That his and our family wouldn't accept? That you didn't want commitment? None of these! You were afraid! Afraid that you had found the one! Afraid that you'd fallen in love! He was perfect for you, Rose. You might not have realized it but, you guys were a phenomenon at Hogwarts. People envied you, were happy for you, were furious with you, but, they knew you two would end up together in the end. You disproved us all, Rose. We don't mind, but, what did the poor guy do to deserve this? He loved you to the world's end and beyond, Rose. Did you know, he was thinking of proposing to you that day? He even had the most beautiful ring! Some thing that was literally screaming you!"

What the entire tirade couldn't achieve, that one sentence did. Rose flopped on the bed, face in her hands, exhausted.

A few minutes' silence later, "I messed up real bad, didn't I?"

"You did, Rose. But it's never too late to set things right. You can…"

Just then there was a knock on the door and Rose stood up, more anxious than she had already been.

She went to the door, thrice, and came back, changing and re-changing her decision, and finally, getting tired of this, Roxanne went to the door and opened it and sure enough, at the door was Scorpius' handsome confident self.

There was a hint of surprise in his eyes as he greeted her and Roxanne smiled brightly at him and said, "She'll be here in a bit"

"She will?"

"Of course! You did ask her on a date, right?"

"Yeah! But I had been prepared to have the door shut in my face too"

"Oh, come on, Scor! She isn't that rude!"

"May be not" Scorpius admitted and entered the flat, looking around, finding the sure signs that it was Rose's. The violets in the vase, the painting of the night sky and the rows upon rows of bookshelves were proof enough.

"Sit down. She'll be here…oh, there she is! I must get going now! See ya guys!" she said and before apparating, mouthed a 'don't be an idiot' to Rose.

Left alone with Scorpius now, Rose was unsure what to do. If it had been years before, at Hogwarts, they had no problem getting along. If it had been like yesterday, she could have managed to be aloof and formal. But, now…

"You have a beautiful flat, Rose. It's just so you"

Her thanks was said to the wall.

"Shall we?" he asked, in the same manner and with the same easy smile as he had asked her out at school.

"Sure" it was her voice which lacked the usual confidence, though.

It'd surely be a date to remember.

A/n: Hope you guys liked it

R&R!


	4. The Coveted Question

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter characters!

Chapter 4: The coveted question

Scorpius apparated her to the place and held for a second before letting her go. That was when Rose did the biggest mistake of looking into his eyes. They were the color of slate sprinkled with water drops of blue. Just like he was.

People had always assumed that he'd be uptight and arrogant and, Rose admitted, that was what one would naturally think, looking at his facial features. But then, she had known him, first as her cousin's friend, then as a study mate and finally, as a boy friend. And she knew that he had a really soft spot for every one he considered 'his own'.

Rose couldn't help but laugh at the phrase he had used.

Shaking herself from the past memories, which she seemed to be doing a lot now a days, she smiled at him, an assurance that all was well.

His mouth was fixed in a smile the entire time that day, as if he had won the Order of Merlin, First Class.

As they sat down at a table by the window, she said, "Nice place"

"Yeah! I always come here. It's not well known but it's perfect for me"

"Hmm…"

The conversation died out as the waitress approached, a smile on her face.

"So you finally get a date!"

"This is Rose. Rose, Amanda. She's the landlady here"

"Oh, just call me Mandy. And welcome to the Coop. What would you like to have?" she asked as she took out her paper pad.

"You use these?" Rose asked in awe as she looked at the object in question which she had seen at Muggle restaurants.

"Which?" Amanda looked around before looking at her hand, "Oh, yeah! It's a bit more convenient than quill when taking down orders"

As Amanda went to get them their orders, Rose asked, "How's the Healer life?"

"Hectic. But it's what I wanted so, I'm managing. And having Al beside helps. And how about you? I've been hearing one too many rumors about your future at the Magical Mishaps Department"

"That's all it ever is. A rumor. I have a long way to go before I'll even have some thing in my career to be proud of"

"I always thought you'd end up being in a big position, you know? With the way you were slaving over your work"

"I wasn't slaving! I was just a bit more dedicated than you and Al!"

"Yeah! And I had to drag you away from the library with you kicking and screaming that you had to study, a _year_ before NEWTs" Scorpius said and his left eye brow rose, a clear sign that he was enjoying this thoroughly.

"Well….I had to study and you weren't helping…." Her voice trailed away and she looked away from his eyes, trying not to think of what had happened after that.

"Rose…"

"Leav…."

"Your orders" Amanda interrupted and both of them were thankful for it.

The rest of the date passed without much event and they were a bit more comfortable when they left than they had been when arriving.

As he dropped her at her flat, he said, "I enjoyed today, Rose. Hope we can do this again"

"Okay!" her answer was more confident than even she had expected.

And thus, it had begun again. Each date was the same, though they enjoyed it more than wither admitted. They spoke about every thing and each had their own opinion which they struggled to prove to the other, resulting in arguments that Amanda found entertaining. She even asked them if they could do it as a sort of entertainment show for her restaurant.

But, they always veered away from the topic of their relationship. And she always told her inquiring friends that they were just going on a date because they enjoyed each other's company.

It was one such date and they were, yet again, at the Coop. They had just finished dinner and were getting ready to leave.

"Rose…" Scorpius' voice was unusually nervous and edgy.

"Yes, Scor?"

"I just wanted to ask you some thing"

"Sure, ask away. Not like me declining would deter you! You'd just pester me till I answer" she said casually and began walking out of the restaurant.

"Uh…Um…"

"What is it?"

"Promise me that what I'm gonna ask you won't stop you from going out with me?"

"Okaaay…"

"I jus….It's….The thing is…..Merlin! This was supposed to be easy!"

Rose watched with increasing trepidation as Scorpius continued ranting to him self.

She suddenly knew what he was going to ask.

That wasn't what frightened her. It was the fight within her that did.

"Will you be my girl friend?" he at last asked, his eyes filled with anxiety and his face, that of a child waiting for the results of a competition.

It almost cost her her entire life, but she said, "Sorry, Scor. I can't afford to get committed now. It won't work out"

So, cowardice had won in the end.

Scorpius was left standing in the middle of the street, and he had never felt so lost before.

Rose ran, forgetting that she was a witch that could apparate, till she reached the end of the street.

And crying was all she could do, for the next few weeks. Whether she cried for her own foolishness or for Scorpius, she was never sure.

She missed him, sure. His presence. His face. His smile. His absolute confidence in her. The way he trusted her without a shade of doubt. The way he had made her trust him. The way he had always known how to charm her.

The way he had always loved her, no matter her returning them.

The way he had made her fall in love with him, without either of them knowing.

Nothing any one ever did could help her, for, her cure was behind the door labeled 'Deputy Head' on the fourth floor of St Mungo's, immersed in work that was the only thing that kept him from complete break down.

A/n: Fourth chap up! Next one would be the last one! So, gear up and review!


	5. A Wedding is all you need

**Disclaimer : I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters…**

Chapter5: A wedding is all you need

"You look fine, Diane. Stop fussing with the gown or you'll ruin it" Lily admonished as she caught hold of Diane's hand to stop them from trying to smooth down a dress that was flat in the first place.

Rose stood at the back of the room, watching the scene unfold before her without it registering in her mind. It was as if watching an alien language movie without subtitles.

Her mind was else where. When Diane had come to her flat three weeks prior, asking if she could be the maid of honor, she had agreed quite willingly, hoping that at least this would distract her and bring her out of her dejection.

Only a few days before had she known that Scor….even thinking his name hurt.

And it was too late to refuse to be the maid of honor. Even so, she would never have given up her friendship with Diane for some thing as simple as her ex-boyfriend being best man.

"What do you think, Rose?"

Lily's voice brought her back to earth.

"Huh?"

"What do you think about Diane choosing an unconventional dress color?"

"What about it?"

"Ugh! You're supposed to say that it was the right thing to do!"

"It was the right thing to do, Lily" Rose said and Diane interjected before Lily could further irritate her.

"Leave her alone, Lily! She has a lot on her mind"

"Funny! The bride is as calm as the maid of honor is absent minded"

"As the bridesmaid is agitated"

"Argh! I'm out of here before you guys drive me mad!" she ranted before rushing out of the room.

"What do you reckon she'll do now?"

"Bug her boy friend, or Albus, I guess" Rose said nonchalantly, "She always manages to entertain herself quite well"

"I guess"

There reigned an uncomfortable in the room, until Diane couldn't take it any more and said, "I'm sorry, Rose. I should have known Al would ask him. Even so, I couldn't have had any one else as my maid of honor"

"You don't have to worry about me, Diane! I'll manage" she said as she hugged her best and only friend.

"You girls ready?" asked Diane's father as he stepped inside the room with Lily trailing behind in her navy blue gown.

Rose's own gown was the same color though it had lesser frills than Lily's.

"Yes, Dad" Diane smiled a brilliant smile at him, standing up.

Walking down the aisle and seeing Al's tensed face, Rose had to stifle an urge to laugh.

_If Diane didn't hurry up, this would be the monumental wedding where the groom walked __**up**__ the aisle to the bride_.

Try as she might, she couldn't avert her eyes from the figure standing behind her cousin in a black tux.

He looked handsome, but she had always known he was good looking.

And it seemed she wasn't the only one thinking about the other, for he too, was staring unwaveringly at her.

When she met his eyes, he gave her a small smile, though she could clearly see that it was fake.

_He was hiding from her._

That hurt too. It seemed hurt was the only thing she was capable of feeling now a days when it concerned Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy.

As she watched the couple say their vows, she wondered, as she had at all the weddings she had attended, whether one day, it would be her at the altar.

She walked around the dance floor, not sitting down at any table, in hopes of avoiding dancing. She hated dancing. Especially in heels. And she was no good at it anyway.

"Hey, Red! Going some where?"

She looked up at James, who was smiling at her, the ever present glint in his eyes increasing as he saw her.

"I'm hiding" Rose whispered in his ear.

"From whom?"

"Any body who'd ask me to dance"

"And I wouldn't?"

"That's why I'm going to go away now. See ya!"

"Red! Red! Red! You don't escape from James Potter that easily" he said as he caught her and began to dance.

"James!"

James paid no heed to her protests and she reluctantly danced with him to a fast paced song. And she was laughing by the time the next one started playing.

"So?"

"So what, Red?"

"You thinking of settling any time soon, Jamie?"

"Don't call me that. And why should I?"

"Well…this is your younger brother's wedding and Lily is…."

"Don't. I'm better off not knowing about her plans"

"Ignorance is bliss?"

"Of course! Oh look, there's Diane! Haven't had the chance to congratulate her!"

"More like frighten her with tales of Al's childhood. You should…" Rose's voice trailed off as she saw Diane's partner.

James walked right up to the dancing pair and cut in.

They were left standing in the middle of dance floor, the only two who were without a pair, each looking around to find some one, any one, else to dance with.

At last, seeing no other way, they began to dance, though no one who had seen them would call what they did dancing.

They stood a foot apart, not looking each other in the eye, his hand barely grazing her waist and hers' his shoulder.

Hearing a tinkling laugh at her side, Rose turned her head just in time to see Diane throw her head back and laugh at some thing Al, who was now dancing with her, had said.

"They seem happy" Scorpius' voice was a whisper at her ear and she shivered, at the effect his proximity had on her.

"I always knew they'd end up together" she said as a smile formed slowly on her lips. She didn't notice that an answering smile broke out on his face.

"Did you now?" his smirk was apparent in his voice.

"Sure! Right from that day in first year when he called her 'shorty'"

"That day you punched him in the face for insulting Diane, you mean?"

"Well, she was my friend, he was teasing her and she was too timid to stand up for herself! And you weren't helping either!" she turned suddenly to face him, finding it closer to hers than she had expected.

"You were cousins and I couldn't have…"

"Nonsense! You were always one of us and you knew it! You just wanted to have some fun" she accused decisively.

Scorpius just shrugged his shoulder at that.

The kept dancing, neither willing to move away, and no one thought to cut in.

It was after a while, when a slow song was playing and they were too close for any body else to hear their conversation, that Scorpius brought the cat out of the bag.

"You look gorgeous today, Rose. I didn't even notice Diane until she was right in front of Al"

"You're joking!"

"No, I'm not! It's the plain truth and you know it. Every body here does. You're the most beautiful woman here and that's unquestionable"

"I'm sure Victoire and Dominique are…"

"Veela charm? That can only captivate some one for so long"

"Looks aren't every thing, Scor. I'm ambitious to a fault. I'm moody. I take my anger out at other people just because I can. I hurt people in a heart beat. I just wasn't made for happiness"

"Now that, I know to be a lie. You deserve to be as happy as any body else. You are just too stubborn to accept that"

"There! I'm stubborn!"

"So? That'll show you how many people really care about you" his hand was now grazing her cheek and they had stopped dancing long since.

Rose turned away from Scorpius, unable to continue arguing with him.

"I'm sorry, Scor. If you think waiting for a few years is going to change my answer,…"

"I'll wait forever, Rose. I'm stubborn too, you know. I don't give up that easily. Especially when it concerns you"

"Why won't you move on, Scor? You'd be better off without a girl friend with commitment issues. And it'd save me from a lot of misery!" Rose cried as she turned to face Scorpius once again.

"So, you'll be happy if I go away?" Scorpius' voice was quite serious as he asked this.

"I didn't mean it that way…" she wanted to explain so badly, but she had not the words.

"Never mind, Rose. It doesn't matter. I should have known…." Scorpius shook his head in resignation.

"It doesn't matter? What doesn't Scor? Me?"

Looking at her frantic face, "Rose, will you stop bloody confusing me!" Scorpius almost shouted.

He dragged her out of the dance floor, into the Burrow's kitchen which appeared like a whirlwind had blown through it.

He passed that room and reached the living room, where he sat on a sofa, gesturing her to take another.

She sat down, looking around at the room as if it was the most intriguing thing in the world.

After a few minutes, "Rose, look at me. I don't care about what you said that day or what you meant years back. It's the now that matters. Do you want me to leave, truthfully?"

"If I said yes?"

"I'd go away from your life forever"

"And move on?"

"If five years couldn't do it, fifty years more won't matter"

"If I say I don't want you to go away?"

"I'll stay with you and bug you for the rest of your life"

"And there's no way you could move on?"

"Unfortunately for you, no"

"Then I guess, I have to put up with you for a while more" Rose fake sighed before a huge smile appeared on her face.

"Was that a yes?"

"We'd better get back before they start looking around for the best man and the maid of honor" she said as she stood up hurriedly.

"Afraid of what they'll think?" he asked as he blocked her path to the door.

"What's the worst that they could assume? That we're going out together?" she asked as she hugged him.

"Hm…that's one option. Oh, look! Just in time for the fire works" he pointed out the window opposite them, "Let's go out! Come one!"

Just as they entered the back yard, a giant fire work exploded in the sky and read, 'To a life time of bickering and arguing'

"Trust James to try and warn them through a fire work" Scorpius chuckled.

"Some one called me?"

"So the devil's saying is true"

"Ah, Rose! Looks like it'll just be me and you who'll be the spinsters"

"Speak for your self. I've no idea of becoming one"

Only then noticing the smile on their faces, James' eyes rounded just before a grin broke out on his face and he said, "So you finally get what was right in your face all the time"

"Guess I did. You know I have a weakness for blond haired healers. And this one was too obstinate to shake off" Rose punched Scorpius in the shoulder and giggled.

James moved away from the pair who were now staring into each others' eyes.

He never asked her this time, because he already knew the answer.

She needed no promises now, for, she knew he'd keep them without her asking.

And they both understood that love needn't be declared to be felt. Often it's the unspoken that's the truest.

And, in front of true love you can't just give up.

A/n: Plz don't kill me for making this the worst ending ever! It didn't go as I had planned but once I wrote his out, I couldn't see them any other way. Sorry, if I disappointed you.

R&R if you wish to yell at me (goes in to hiding)


End file.
